Bhubaneswar: Farmers cultivating paddy on a maximum of 2.49 acres are categorised as marginal farmers and those cultivating paddy on a maximum of 4.99 acres are categorised as small farmers for the purpose of inclusion in the paddy procurement process, informed Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak in the Odisha Assembly today.
Replying to a question raised by Gopalpur MLA Pradip Panigrahi, Nayak said that in Paddy Procurement Year 2021-22, paddy was purchased from 7.52 lakh marginal farmers and 5.29 lakh small farmers.
The Minister informed that in the 2022-23 Kharif season up to 16 March 2023, a minimum support price (MSP) was provided to 14.34 lakh farmers towards procurement of paddy.
He said that in the last paddy procurement year of 2021-22 out of the paddy procured 86.98 per cent was procured through PACS/LAMPS, 12.84 per cent through SHGs and 0.18 per cent through Pani Panchayats.
The Minister further informed that during the 2021-22 paddy procurement year 18,123 MT, 12,453 MT, and 18,490 MT paddy was respectively procured in Ganjam district’s Chhatrapur, Ganjam and Rangeilunda blocks.
